


Pearls before Porco

by madameseahorse



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Appendicitis, Christmas fic, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Gift Fic, Grieving, Health Issues, Light Angst, Masks, Racism, Religion, Religious References, Sickfic, Surgery, The Curse of Ymir, pearls, talk of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28200168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madameseahorse/pseuds/madameseahorse
Summary: "You think you have appendicitis? Do you even have an appendix?"Pieck nodded, not trusting herself to speak without throwing up."But you had it removed before you were given the Cart Titan. Wouldn't this be the second time?"She shook her head. Using the hand not clutching the right side of her belly, she held up three fingers. Porco groaned and threw down his newspaper. It wasn't that he didn't care for Pieck. He just didn't feel like taking her to a hospital outside of Liberio during the holidays.
Relationships: Porco Galliard/Pieck
Kudos: 19





	Pearls before Porco

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CatsuNatsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatsuNatsu/gifts).



> Since SNK is ending in three or four chapters, I wanted to write a fic for someone who appreciates this pairing before our hearts are broken. Catsunatsu, I hope you enjoy this story. I might write one more chapter, but we'll see lol.
> 
> To anyone offended by the religious references, I am not trying to convert anyone. I see the Eldians as a religious people, since their founder did make a deal with the Devil of All Earth (or creator of organic matter, depending on how you interpret the manga). There are also parallels to Jews and Nazi Germany to Eldians and the Marleyan Empire, respectfully. I like including references to other sources of writing, even religious ones, like The Prose Edda or The Bible. Plus, this is a Christmas fic, so certain references felt appropriate.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for your support and enjoy! For those of you who have read "Thrice Burned," this takes place almost immediately after that story, although this can stand alone or be read with "The Family Galliard."

\------ 

"You think you have appendicitis? Do you even have an appendix?"

Pieck nodded, not trusting herself to speak without throwing up.

"But you had it removed before you were given the Cart Titan. Wouldn't this be the second time?"

She shook her head. Using the hand not clutching the right side of her belly, she held up three fingers. Porco groaned and threw down his newspaper. It wasn't that he didn't care for Pieck. He just didn't feel like taking her to a hospital outside of Liberio during the holidays. Whatever country they were currently in was a recent conquest of the Marleyan Military. It had been fairly peaceful for once, although they had brought three Warriors to the negotiations. Even without transforming, he still felt lousy. Might be coming down with something.

He walked over to where she was sitting and knelt in front of her, his hands on her knee.

"Pieck, I don't even know if I can get you into a hospital here. The train leaves tomorrow and then we'll be back in Liberio before noon. Maybe it can wait."

She moved her hand over his, a gesture Porco assumed was kind until she grabbed his hand tight.

"Owowowow, let go!"

"If I wait, it will rupture. I've been through that twice and don't plan on making it a habit," she bit out, startling him. She must be in a lot of pain. If she was any other Warrior,  
Porco would tell her to suck it up. Well, not the War Chief. He was in charge and kind of scary. Bertoldt and Annie were MIA. Okay, so he'd tell Reiner to get over it and he would try to quietly endure any ailment himself. They could regrow limbs and survive injuries that would kill anyone else, after all. He shouldn't give extra care to Pieck.

"Where would we even go?" he asked weakly.

"There's a clinic of some sort on the way into town. Two miles past the train station, about a mile from here."

"Really? That place looks more rundown than Liberio."

"Exactly. Hmm," she drew her lips together to stop from crying out.

"And you want them to operate on you? You, a subject of Ymir? Scum of the Earth?"

"I'm aware of my race that I share with you. Remember what Commander Magath said about this country?"

"I dunno. Full of resources. Dumb people?"

"Full of resources and uneducated laborers."

"Yeah, and they were easy to take over. They surrendered without any battles at the promise of the Marleyan Army buying their fossil fuels and building train tracks through their land." He and Pieck knew that Marley would not pay top dollar for any resources.

"Yes, they're desperate. So desperate that they'd probably let us into a crappy clinic if we paid them well."

He raised an eyebrow. Bribery? That was probably illegal and they'd get in trouble. They might even cause the alliance to fall thru and start an unnecessary war (as opposed to those "necessary" wars that the Motherland had a habit of starting and joining).

\------ 

Porco wasn't sure how they managed to get to the clinic. Pieck's estimate of less than one mile was, of course, accurate. She was Pieck, after all. They couldn't find a cab to take them there. They did run into a rickshaw-type vehicle, but were refused service once they saw their armbands. He ended up carrying her on his back. The walk took less than an hour.

"Where are your masks?" the security guard at the clinic demanded.

"Masks?" People were wearing bandanas or scarves over their faces, but Porco assumed it was a cultural thing. It was also cold as it was around sunset at the beginning of winter.

"Epidemic. You need a mask to enter. Excuse me," a nurse stuck her head out of the door and whispered to him in another language. Porco didn't understand the words, but he understood the point to Pieck's armband (his was currently covered up by his friend's hand clutching at arm).

"Oh, you're devils," he exclaimed, sounding non judgmental and more surprised. The reaction would be refreshing if he wasn't trying to hold up Pieck. Ninety-three pounds of dead weight got heavy after a mile.

"Yes, we're Eldians, but we are honorary Marleyans and my friend is very sick."

"Appendicitis," she added.

"Yes, and she needs an operation."

Pieck kicked him and whispered to get the money. If she wasn't sick, he'd be scolding her for being so bossy.

"There is an interment zone for your kind seven kilometers from here, although I don't know if they have doctors."

"No amount of money will make us work with your bad blood," the nurse said as Porco finally got the money out of his pocket. The guard reluctantly took the cash. It was hard to read his expression with a mask on, but the way his eyes widened as he counted the bills showed surprise. He showed the bills to his coworker and whispered excitedly in their language. She shook her head.

"Still need to pay for the operation. Unless this is merely a show of good faith from bad devils," she said barely above a whisper. Porco swore that she winked at him.

"This is a show of good faith. From two Eldians who really need help. Like your God did on Christmas."

Pieck was surprised at his reference. She did not fully understand it, but the woman seemed to understand.

"There is no room at this inn. There are people ahead of you, people who do not worship the devils of Earth." Did she sound almost apologetic?

"That's fine. We can be patient. We aren't looking for special treatment," he chuckled, "it's not like we'd deserve it."

She muttered to the guard, who nodded eagerly, and gave a furtive look around before opening the door and urging them in. There were extra masks hanging where coats normally hung. Porco awkwardly grabbed two that look clean. Judging by the fact that everyone was wearing some sort of covering over the lower halves of their faces, these masks must be extra. The waiting room was poorly insulated, so everyone wore their coats.

"I'm going to get you checked in," he told Pieck, setting her down on a bench. She curled in on herself, but made a quiet sound of acknowledgement. He made his way to the counter, trying to not bump into anyone. The receptionist at the front desk started to rebuke him, but the first nurse interrupted and said that they were okay. She still pointed to his face. For a moment, he feared that they were out of luck, but then he realized that she wanted him to wear the mask.

Sheepishly, Porco held his mask over his mouth with one hand. He used the other to grab the intake form and then headed back to the bench.

"They gave you a blanket?"

Pieck nodded and lifted a corner for him to join her.

"Uh, I'm goo-"

She shook her head and gave the blanket a shake. Porco decided to humor her.

"You feeling cold?" He touched his hand to her forehead and she felt normal. Pieck's only response was to tuck him into the blanket. It was so small that she was practically sitting on his lap.

"Gotta keep your arm warm," she whispered.

Oh! She was covering his armband. Even sick, she was insanely clever.

"R-right. Uh, you should put this on." He held up the second mask. Pieck jutted her chin out. Porco must be putting on the mask, then. He hooked the elastic around her left ear, careful not to get it caught on the earring she was wearing. She turned her head slightly, but didn't offer much more help.

"I didn't know you had pierced ears."

"They came with the appendix." Did that make sense? It was a reference to their earlier conversation about her stupid appendix. The one that had been removed twice. The first time, it had ruptured. That had been shortly before she inherited the Cart Titan. Had it not ruptured, the Marleyan brass would have wanted to just wait until she became the Cart. The second time was three years later, but it had been in Libero and an Eldian doctor was able to remove it. She assumed that he had been a relative of Zeke's, maybe a grandfather, but she didn't ask. Pieck knew about the controversy around the Jaeger family and did not want to bring up embarrassing incidents of family members being sent to Paradis. It ruptured again on the way to Paradis, but she had to be in her titan form for several months and the problem seemed to correct itself.

  
Huh, that was only five months ago? A lot happened during that time. Zeke turned the citizens of that village into titans. They had found Marcel's successor, who became Porco's predecessor. Then there was the battle in Shiganshina that the Warriors suffered a humiliating defeat. Bertoldt was lost as Annie had been earlier. Porco's health suffered from unexpected side effects of becoming one of the Nine that were only resolved recently.

"They're just clip-ons," Porco breathed a sigh of relief. The small, but dangling earring on the right ear got stuck on the elastic. In his attempt to untangle it, the earring came of and he suffered a mini heart attach until the lack of a piercing or blood calmed him down.

" 'Just?' They are still cute."

"They're pearls, aren't they?" Porco picked up the fallen earring and examined it. The metal was cheap. He could see what was probably nickel underneath the chipping gold paint.

"Dad gave them to me. They're probably not real."

"No, they are. Well, not from the ocean, but they're real pearls."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Real pearls aren't perfectly round. They're also gritty against your teeth, although I can't show you that with a mask on."

"Good, because I don't want you rubbing my earrings on your teeth."

His ears turned red. He had meant that Pieck couldn't do the teeth trick with her mask on. He couldn't tell if she meant to tease him, but continued on.

"Here." He took her hand and traced her finger slowly along the pearl.

"Can you feel the imperfections? The roughness?"

She shook her head. She wasn't sure why, but sometimes she couldn't feel very well with her fingertips. The neuropathy might be caused by the Curse of Ymir, but it could also be from being a titan who walked on their feet and hands. She didn't use her hands to grab things (like people or projectiles rocks) in her titan form. It was hard enough to get used to walking on two legs after extended time as the Cart. Her human hands must not have gotten the memo that they needed to work properly when writing or inspecting a light pink, oval-shaped pearl for authenticity.

Porco-thoughtful Pocco-realized this as soon as she shook her head.

"You can also see them, if you look close enough." He held the earring close enough that Pieck could feel her eyes crossing.

"And it's most likely a fresh water pearl because of the color."

"Where did you learn so much about gems?"

"Pearls." There was a hint of smugness in his voice at knowing something that Pieck did not know.

"Whatever. I had no idea you knew so much."

Neither did he. His mom always wanted to be a jeweler. She was good enough at repairing broken chains and polishing silver that even people outside of the interment zone wanted her help. Marcel becoming a Warrior really helped her little jewelry repair business. He came home with pearls and other gems that he managed to buy or find. Their mother tried to include Porco in her business when he was not chosen as the Armored Titan.

Boy, had Porco been mad! Yelled that he was no jeweler. He would never make jewelry for anyone when he should have been out fighting for the Motherland and running thru gates on that stupid penal colony. He may have said some derogatory things about Marcel being gay, which he never apologized for, but regretted just the same. Marcel, normally calm, was still the quick-witted teenager who had been given the Jaw and told his brother shouldn't help their mom.

"Pearls before swine," he'd scoffed. That had been over five years ago. Porco figured his brother was teasing about his name. A play on words. Only after he inherited the Jaw did Porco learn its significance. For a member of an Ymir-based cult, his predecessor knew a lot about other faiths. He never apologized for saying rude things about Marcel's sexuality. Before the failed mission that began five years ago, he had slipped Marcel a small pearl pin shaped like a pig. He should not have, since it was proof of a world outside of Paradis' Walls. Marcel merely slipped it into his pocket and hugged him tightly.

Marcel said he promised to carry the pin with him always. Porco would have preferred that he promised to come back alive and said something stupid instead. That was the last time they ever spoke. His death was still too fresh in his mind. Until five months ago, he thought that his brother lived.

"Marcel liked them," was Porco's answer, along with a sniff. Pieck replied with a quiet nod and a squeeze of his hand underneath the blanket. Why she was sick and comforting him made him wonder. Maybe it was true what some people believed. If bottom-dwellers like oysters could produce something as beautiful as a pearl, even one of Ymir's subjects could brighten his day. Pieck was his pearl. Hopefully, he could be worthy enough for her someday.


End file.
